


Advanced Navigation

by beyondinsane



Category: Hornblower (TV)
Genre: Age of Sail, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-25
Updated: 2008-04-25
Packaged: 2017-10-06 15:13:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyondinsane/pseuds/beyondinsane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Archie and Horatio are sent to study Advanced Navigation at the Naval College in Greenwich.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Advanced Navigation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [romanticalgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/gifts).



> One of my first efforts at "porning down" my writing. Not that it isn't porny, it's just HBO-y instead of pay-per-viewy. Anyhoo, I just got back from my first trip to England, and stumbled across a lovely little setting for some A/H. Please Enjoy. Written for Romanticalgirl's Wet-And-Wild Challengathon Thingy

"I understand why they want you to study Advanced Navigation, but I fail to see what I did to deserve such an...honor." Archie kicked a small stone and watched it tumble down the hill in front of the Observatory. Horatio made no reply, hunched as he was over a slate. He made quite the picture of the Scholar, Archie thought - leaning against an ancient tree, clad in his white britches and deep blue jacket, emblazoned in gold with the symbol of the Royal Naval College. Archie sighed and leaned against the tree himself, standing over Horatio and watching him scribble. It was almost like watching a painter - none of it would make any sense until the "portrait" was complete. Then their masters would oooh and aaah over it as if it should be hung above the mantle.

Horatio smiled to himself suddenly, and put the finishing touch on his masterpiece. He turned his head upward towards Archie, who wore a sullen expression. Horatio looked so pleased with himself that Archie could not help but grin; the countenance looking out of place on Horatio's usually serious face.

"It's only a few months, Archie. Do you miss hard tack and rum that much?"

"It's not the rum...well maybe only a little." Archie jested as he often did when covering up his feelings. It was a habit he hated, and so he started again, trying to be more forthright; more plain; more...Horatio about it. "I feel more out of place here than I did on the ship - which is really saying something."

Horatio frowned, his brow furrowing unhappily. He hated when Archie berated himself. Archie tried another tack.

"You know what I mean." Archie told him, unwilling to listen to the forthcoming lecture. "I am no scholar, at least not when it comes to the sciences and maths. If only they'd have sent me here to study Naval History. That's something that cold hold my attention."

"You have a quick mind, my friend. If you would only turn it to your studies instead of ...whatever else you have been thinking on." Horatio seemed puzzled for a moment, but the puzzlement melted when he smudged a decimal point from existence and replaced it one place left. "Incidentally, what have you been thinking on?"

"Bad memories." Archie sat beside Horatio, their legs touching. A passerby would have thought such closeness unusual, but for two men so recently at sea - and slightly less recently in a foreign prison - it was second nature. Archie found himself constantly drawn to be near Horatio; it had been so ever since they met. He was calmed by him and excited by him all at once. It seemed that with Horatio by his side, anything could happen - and it often did. But at the same time, the excitement brought with it a feeling that they would survive it, whatever "it" happened to be this time. He edged a bit closer, riding the familiar current of comfort and possibility.

"Of prison?" Horatio asked, staring into his slate. As upfront as Horatio was about most things, he was uncomfortable discussing their time in prison. Sometimes, at night, they would talk of it in the dark of their shared room. It was if Horatio was hiding something from him, something that would be obvious to Archie if they spoke of it in plain light.

"Worse. The Justinian." Archie sighed. "I fear I shall never be free of those dark days. It is as if his cold hands grasp my heart even still." In prison, Archie had confessed Jack Simpson's crimes, and his role in them to Horatio. Perhaps that was the cause of Horatio's reluctance to discuss prison.

"He never had your heart." Horatio turned to him, his eyes scolding. "Whatever else he took from you, I know your heart and it is good and whole." He was never good at conversation; he tended to overstate simple things and when he tried to sound heartfelt he sounded like a bad poet. But his words pleased Archie, who rewarded him with a small smile.

He felt light hearted again, wondering at the changes Horatio worked in him. Horatio commanded everything around him... why not Archie's own humour as well? Archie was distracted from his thoughts by a drop of rain falling from the sky onto Horatio's slate, the white chalk streaking down the black field.

"It's liable to get washed away." Archie said suddenly, reaching for the slate in Horatio's lap.

"Your heart?" Horatio looked amused, as he often did when Archie reached for metaphor.

"No, yours." Archie tapped the slate, pushing Horatio's attention back to it. Horatio looked as if he might cry, and only the danger of ruining more of his careful work kept him from tears. "Give it to me." Archie pulled the slate from Horatio's hands and tucked it underneath his own jacket.

"But your jacket!" Horatio looked aghast. "It will be covered with chalk!"

"It's either your math or the inside of my jacket."

Horatio seemed to accept these terms, and rose. "Speaking of inside, perhaps a change of location is in order."

"You always did hate the rain." Archie said agreeably, lagging behind a moment longer, relishing the feel of the cool April drizzle sliding down his face.

Horatio set off at an undignified trot, trying to keep his long legs from getting ahead of themselves down Observatory hill. Archie found himself laughing as he raced down, passing Horatio and slipping a bit on the slick grass. He hazarded a glance over his shoulder and saw Horatio running in earnest now, struggling to keep up with him.

The sky opened in earnest, soaking them like an errant wave. Archie continued to run, feeling Horatio gain on him. He was close now - too close, and sure enough, Archie tumbled forward as Horatio careened into him.

They hit the ground with a resounding crack, tumbling over each other until they reached the bottom of the hill. Archie found himself laying on top of Horatio, laughing and soaked. He touched his forehead to Horatio's as a strong feeling of vertigo overtook him.

"All right, Archie?" Horatio said, finally letting himself smile.

"I think I broke something."

"Let me see, Archie. I'm...my dad was a doctor. " Horatio began to fumble around with his hands, pressing against Archie's sides. "Where does it hurt?"

"OOohhh, right in the old slate." Archie moaned, reaching beneath his coat and producing Horatio's slate. It was broken in two and the white chalk had smeared illegibly. He tossed it into the rain, useless now.

"You clumsy git!" Horatio cried, pushing against his chest in a feeble effort to free himself from beneath the more solid Archie.

"You're the one that knocked me over." Archie grinned down at him, enjoying the upper hand for once. He lowered his forehead to Horatio's again, the dizziness was getting worse the longer he lay on top of Horatio, and he had the sudden sneaking suspicion his light-headedness had nothing to do with their tumble down the hill.

"You scared me. I thought you were really hurt." Horatio said softly, brushing a bit of Archie's soaking hair from his face. The rain increased its intensity, as if heaven itself sought to prevent Archie from doing what he knew he was about to do. The sin was already committed in his heart; so he did not see the harm in pressing on.

"Shall I apologize?" Archie purred, his voice full of a quiet desperation that surprised even him, to say nothing of the effect his words had on Horatio, to whom his meaning was clear. His head was spinning now, and he knew if he didn't do something to quiet it he would never be able to exist as he had before. He looked down at Horatio's face, pale porcelain framed by thick curls and the green grass beyond. Archie watched as as Horatio's expression changed from tender to confused and then somewhat panicked as Archie tilted his head and kissed him.

It was tentative; almost chaste; and lasted only a second. Archie felt something ignite within him, like nothing so much as the firing of a canon. His ears almost rang with the explosive force of it.

"I'm sorry" He whispered, and kissed Horatio again. His heart thumped in his chest, beating to some forbidden rhythm, which increased it's pace double time as he felt Horatio's mouth open slightly, accepting him, drawing him in. Horatio's hands softened against his chest, and slowly, as if unsure of themselves, wrapped themselves around his shoulders. His jacket was impossibly soaked through, and Horatio's white shirt was as wet as sailcloth.

Archie pressed harder into the kiss, demolishing any possibility of a platonic facade. He tentatively pressed his tongue into Horatio's open mouth and was thrilled by the reciprocal movement.

A loud clap of thunder sounded, startling Archie into breaking the kiss. The spinning in his head stopped, in it's place a spinning in his gut as he considered their position and what they - he - had just done.

"We ... we should get inside." Horatio stammered, and Archie nodded, standing up and offering his hand to pull Horatio up as well. Horatio released his hand the moment that he was on his feet and Archie found himself at once sure of his destination and entirely off course, with no idea how he would weather the storm.

***

A cheery fire had been lit in their twin room, and tea sat cooling on the table. Though modest when compared to Archie's childhood room, it was lavishly sized when compared to their shared quarters on the Indy. Archie closed the door behind them and began to undress.

"What are you doing?" Horatio asked in a strained voice.

"Undressing." Archie responded, slipping his shirt over his shoulders. "My clothes are soaked Horatio. You would be smart to do likewise." He hung his clothes on the grate next to the fireplace, and wriggled into a night shirt. Horatio seemed to accept this answer, as he turned his back and began to undress himself.

"Tea?" Archie asked, his voice as calm as he could muster.

"Yes, please." Came Horatio's quiet reply.

Archie poured two cups, aware of his hand shaking as he passed one to Horatio, who took the only chair in front of the fire. Horatio took it from him, steading his hand as he did so. He took a sip of it, still holding onto Archie's hand as he did so.

Their eyes met.

"You hand is cold." Horatio said simply.

"So is yours. The rain..." Archie swallowed.

"The rain, Archie?" Horatio mumbled. "I remember it being so warm." He pulled on Archie's hand, pulled it down to that Archie knelt in front of him. "You're trembling." He wrapped his hand against Archie's face, tangling his long fingers in Archie's wet, disheveled shock of blond hair.

"Horatio, I.." Archie started, but found himself unable to finish. He placed his tea cup on the floor, as if that decided something. Horatio seemed to agree, and set his along aside the chair. Archie closed his eyes as Horatio moved towards him, not believing what he was seeing; knowing that once Horatio determined a course, he never deviated. The feel of Horatio's full lips on his, coupled with the knowledge that they were completely alone and dressed only in their nightshirts produced a warmth within that rivaled the heat from the fire. Archie lost himself in their kiss - had he ever kissed another? He couldn't remember, and if he had surely none of them could compare. What Horatio lacked in experience he made up for in determination, mimicking Archie's ferocity when they had lain at the foot of Observatory hill, soaked by rain and desire.

Archie pressed back against Horatio, rising and straddling his lap without breaking the kiss. Horatio's arms went around him, tangling themselves again in Archie's hair, pulling the ribbon that held his queue into place. Cold water dripped down Archie's back and onto Horatio's face as they kissed. Archie pulled free from his mouth, latching on to his neck instead. Horatio bent his head, allowing Archie free rein. Archie shivered slightly, running his mouth along his skin, still damp with rain. The sudden storm had soaked them, and the fire from the room could not assuage the chill that had set into his bones. Horatio pulled him closer

"Horatio..." Archie whispered between fevered kisses. "We shouldn't.

"I know, Archie. But we shall." Horatio's face was curiosity and longing, but tamed with a healthy bit of fear and the makings of regret as well. Archie hesitated, not wanting Horatio to regret. Not this. He summoned up the courage to smile - which was harder than he thought it would be. To his great relief, Horatio smiled as well and then they were kissing again. He slid his hand down to Horatio's bare lower thighs, and sighed a bit into the kiss. He had always thought Horatio lovely to look at, but to touch...few sensations could compare. He was smooth, almost feminine; a thought that made him fight down a giggle. His hands explored further north, where any such comparisons became impossible.

Archie froze for a second, seeing as Horatio always saw: the only clear direction. It was not so difficult, now that the course was decided. He trembled as Horatio lifted first Archie's, then his own nightshirt. They had not even bothered to put on the rest of their clothing, as if their bodies knew it would come to this before either of them had accepted it and the nightshirts were an immodest joke. The sound of the rain on the tin roof above them was tremendous, even traveling as it did through layers of plaster.

Archie gasped as Horatio grasped him, the sound muffled by a sudden clap of thunder. He would have groaned had Horatio not caught his open mouth in a kiss. His body moved of its own accord, taking Horatio in hand and pressing his own aching length against Horatio's. The friction was lightening, a sailors worst nightmare for the fear of resulting fire. But there was no room for fear, not anymore. The storm raged without, and within they sailed unfamiliar seas, but Archie had no doubt Horatio would plot a safe course.


End file.
